TURNO EXTRA Exhibition

TURNO EXTRA – Digital Extensions of Board Games

An exhibition curated by Riccardo Fassone, Mauro Salvador, and Mauro Vanetti
at Play – The Games Festival, 4–6 April 2025

Digital technology is part of our everyday lives—many of our activities are mediated by a phone, a computer, or a tablet. In recent years, even designers of analogue games (board games, role-playing games, card games, etc.) have begun to adopt digital strategies to expand their game worlds or streamline rules and procedures. In some cases, an app or software replaces the game master in RPG sessions, or platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp become tools for secret communication between players.

The TURNO EXTRA – Digital Extensions of Board Games exhibition, curated by Riccardo Fassone, Mauro Salvador, and Mauro Vanetti, and hosted in the Digital Games area of Play 2025, showcases a selection of board games that make innovative use of digital tools. Using phones, computers, tablets, and specially designed electronic devices, visitors will be able to experience the fusion of traditional tabletop play and its digital extensions.

This exhibition highlights one of the many changes shaping the world of games today. Digital is not “the future” of board games—nor are board games destined to be replaced by video games. On the contrary, apps, software, and other digital tools can act as cyborg extensions of boards and dice, offering designers and players new ways to expand their experience around the table.

Curators:

Riccardo Fassone teaches History and Theory of Play at the University of Torino. He is a scholar and game author. His latest essay, Ballare di architettura. Una teoria di chi gioca e di chi guarda, was published by Einaudi in 2024.

Mauro Salvador is a game designer and educator. He has written books and essays on interactive digital media and their connection to other forms of communication. He also teaches Digital Storytelling at the University of Bologna.

Mauro Vanetti develops both gaming and non-gaming software. He teaches video game development at the New Academy of Fine Arts in Milano. In 2024, he released Guidi Tu, a playful app aimed at raising awareness around drink-driving.